PlayStation 4 Streaming Gives 15 Minutes of Fame to All Gamers

PlayStation 4 is everything I had hoped for so far, and with the added live streaming, 15 minutes of fame is what PS4 gives to all gamers. After hooking up my PlayStation 4 and watching other users play via live stream, I was in awe to find gamers in the middle of gameplay responding to other players in a chat box to the right of the live-stream screen. Not one game was cracked open yet and already I was impressed.

The number one game that is streaming from most gamers was Battlefield 4, and yes, it is excellent. As I watched some of the gamers’ live gameplay, I couldn’t help but notice the comments in their chat boxes. Some comments were users who were salivating from viewing games they have yet to receive via mail or purchase, which were truly comical. Many chatters were simply rating skills of streaming players so as to gain another skillful teammate for big team matches.

Such a feature uncovers a new world for gamers that may open up discussions about glitches and features that can be overwhelming to a novice. All it takes is click of a share button, and voila! You are an instant voyeur to a user’s gameplay. Experienced gamers who have streamed their gameplay for all to see, have stretched their 15 minutes of fame on current consoles, but the Playstation 4 takes it to another level. Once you are set up to chat, you can simply type in any question or comment you may have for the live-streaming player.

Setup requires a Twitch TV or Ustream account for users who wish to broadcast their gameplay across the Internet; however, users may also view the live streaming via their Playstation dashboard, which is free to gamers who have opted for the PlayStation Plus subscription ($50 annual fee). Gamers who do not have the PlayStation Plus subscription will not have access to the live-stream feature.

The downfall, though a remedy has been promised by Sony, is the fact that users who want to archive their play streams on Twitch TV and Ustream are not able to. This means the viewing of hours upon hours of gameplay can only be enjoyed live, which is not good for gamers who must record achievements, which, in turn, will help a gamer’s cause in gaining followers. Also, tweeting your gameplay is not as easy as it is to update Facebook. The upside is these minor snags can be fixed – these aren’t problems that are related to the resolution problem that does not seem to be reversible for a competitive console.

All in all, the gaming feature of broadcasting gameplay is one of the better features of next-gen console. Hearing about the streaming feature beforehand is nothing compared to the actual experience. Just imagine the streams on horror survival games – chat boxes would be filled with users willing to do a walk-through with the player. If you are a gamer who is down to use your 15 minutes of fame wisely, I strongly suggest that all of you give Playstation 4 streaming a try.

Uhhh, you got it all wrong. You can stream as long as you want to, live. The PS4 is always, in the background, recording your last 15 minutes of gameplay and even then you can make it record another 15 minutes.